Big koi pond came with house ....

[watchingangels]

So glad I found this forum. I am in desperate need of advise….

We bought a house that came with a koi pond. Last year we totally drained to clean out about a foot of rocks/gunk on the bottom. All flagstone has been removed from the sides until we are sure we have it correct. The pond was refilled and 15 rescued gold fish were added. We enjoyed for awhile but didn’t clean it out correctly so leaves and debris fell in and mucked it up again. It’s now totally drained and cleaned out again.

7 – 8 thousand gallons kidney shaped pond

2 10,000 gal/hr pumps

3-4 ft deep and a ledge 1 ft below around both sides

Water is pumped and runs along side pond then up along side of stream to top waterfall, holding tank is about 4 cu ft . Top waterfall is approx. 10 feet above pond surface and falls 4 ft into a 1 ft hole then runs down stream about 10 ft long. Water falls 5 ft over stacked rock back into the pond.

The top holding tank had pillows stuffed in it when we first opened it and we took those out.

Located in North Texas.

Thank you so much for any help or suggestions you may have in making this a better place for the fish and for us



top waterfall stream pond
bottom waterfall

 

[HTH]

Looks like it has a lot of potential.

Sounds like the 'top holding tank' is your filter.

Pictures of that would be helpful.

I am in the Oklahoma panhandle.

 

[watchingangels]

Top holding tank is not 4 cu ft I guess a few feet from top so maybe a ft under water? and I sure don't remember all this stuff being in there. No wonder it wasn't cleaning....
I took pictures from the start through getting out 1 bag of lava rock, 4 wall blocks, 2 green chair cushions? 4 layers of black mesh. still stuff on the bottom but it's 100 out, no wind, aweful smell :huh: Will have to finish later.

 

[watchingangels]

Any comments or suggestions regarding the layout and the current clogged up filtration? What options do I have in this area? I have read some on bogs so not sure if that would be a better option....
Again, I appreciate all responses as I know nothing about koi ponds. I am reading the forums too...lots and lots of good information!

 

[DrCase]

Welcome to the Forum !!

Your pond has potential the filter wow needs a redo
You could convert it to a skippy type filter if you added a pipe on the bottom to suck the muck out when needed.
or just add a drum filter or skippy type behind it that would feed the old filter converted to a bog type filter

 

[callingcolleen1]

:claphands: :claphands: big hello and Welcome! Just a beautiful stream and that pond has lots of good potential for sure!

I would keep the pond running and not be too obsessed with cleaning constantly. My pond has not been taken apart and cleaned ever, except when I rebuilt one of the connecting ponds every 10 years or so. I would not place rocks on the very bottom of pond, that way you can net out the excess leaf litter and the pumps should be able to take care of the rest. I would plant large sedges like cattails, irises, grasses, and rushes in the stream, without soil, and wedge pieces of the roots in the shallow areas in the rocks. If you wish to plant the sedges in baskets with kitty litter or other soil medium that is fine too. I just prefer to plant my sedges by just wedging the roots in rocks and most will spread quicker that way I find. Sedges are best for natural cleaning of the pond.

Partial water changes can be done if you wish, but I would not recommend taking the whole pond apart every time it has a few leaves and such, as a pond needs time to balance and disturbing the pond constantly is usually needed. A bog would be very nice, but you also create a bog of living plants right in your pond and stream for now, and grow many plants that can be later moved to a bog when they get big if you wish.

Here is some sample pictures from my pond yesterday, you can see my big Yellow Flag water Iris growing in my pond with no soil, now it just floats naturally.

 

[sissy]

welcome and cleaning it like that means you are starting over and that really spells trouble like colleen says .The pillows were in there to pick all the fine algae cells .Now you will be starting all over which will mean filter will need to cycle and pond will turn green .

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome! Sounds like you are at the pre-I-know-just-enough-to-be-confused stage! Don't worry, because as you learn, read, and experience, it starts coming together.

One thing I've learned is to NOT make too many changes (interventions) all at the same time -- so go slow as you progress. I'm still a newbie myself, and most of the time I want to do it ALL, RIGHT NOW! But you can't and shouldn't do that with a pond, especially if it has fish. Guessing I would start with fixing your waterfall-filter set-up. Lots of great ideas here on GPF, and on the web.

As mentioned, you don't need to empty & clean the pond when it gets full of gunk. That disrupts the natural balance. Is there a skimmer in the system? Those are good for removing surface stuff, like leaves. If not, you can get a pool skimmer net to do that manually, and use it to remove the leaves that settle to the bottom.

Also, as mentioned, rocks/gravel IN the pond will allow gunk to collect, and makes it harder to clean, which leads to growth of harmful bacteria. Rocks around the edge, OK.

Stick around here and before you know it, YOU'LL be the one GIVING the advice! Like me, LOL! I'm at the I-know-just-enough-to-be-dangerous stage

 

[watchingangels]

Thank you for all the replies.
Sissy, we don't run the pumps all the time and when off the stream doesn't hold water so I don't think we will be able to keep plants there. It will be river rock in that area.
I'm going to look up some of the terms and filter types suggested.
Y'all are the best

 

[sissy]

check out you tube .I use it to see filter builds and waterfall builds .With fish in there pump needs to run 24/7

 

[sentrek]

Welcome, Where about in North Texas are you?

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome, Where about in North Texas are you?

Wondering same. There are several members from TX, around and in the central to north & panhandle area. Also, a few of us in LA, OK, and AR

 

[watchingangels]

Were up in the Sherman/Denison area.

We are working on a side wall that fell in on the lower waterfall. If we put back all the filter materials we took out (cleaned of course) would that work for now? We need to get the water and plants back in.

Colleen....beautiful pond.

 

[watchingangels]

Welcome to the Forum !!

Your pond has potential the filter wow needs a redo
You could convert it to a skippy type filter if you added a pipe on the bottom to suck the muck out when needed.
or just add a drum filter or skippy type behind it that would feed the old filter converted to a bog type filter

If we did the drum or skippy type filter would the amount of pressure we are getting from those pumps be an issue or a concern?

 

[sissy]

remember the drum you will want to hide.Some people use the rain barrels